Locked In The Cellar
by Pumpkinsnuffles
Summary: What happens when Ann, Karen, and Popuri come up with a 'fool-proof' plan to get Gray and Claire together? I found this when I was going through some documents and decides to post it. T for safety! AND I DO NOT OWN ANY COPYRIGHTED THINGS IN THIS STORY!


**Locked In the Cellar**

The blonde haired farmer girl rushed around her kitchen gathering certain ingredients and spices for a stew she was making. She threw in a pinch of this and a dash of that, until the soup maintained a creamy brown color. She was interrupted from her cooking when her door opened and walked in one of her most best friends who she happens to love.

"Mm... Something's smelling good." The man she knows as Gray walked up behind her. Grabbed a spoon, and went to reach for a scoop of the stew. She swatted his hand with her wooden spoon.

"Don't touch. It's for Ann's party." The blonde farmer said sternly. Her eyes not leaving the pot.

"Didn't I surprise you when I just walked in Claire?" Gray said in a pouty tone.

"Well, Ann walks in here like that on a daily basis. So I'm used to it by now." Claire said stirring the stew slowly. She tossed in a small handful of chopped celery and poured a little red wine into the mixture. She stirred some more and then she scooped some of the stew onto her wooden spoon and turned to Gray.

"Taste." She simply said to the red headed man towering over her. He took the spoon and ate the stew happily. He swallowed and gave a satisfying burp.

"It's good. What's it called?" Gray said studying Claire's movements closely.

"Potbelly Stew. It's basically a soup made with a bunch of vegetables, spices, and a little red wine." Claire said taking a bite for herself. She swished the soup around in her mouth for a few minutes and then swallowed slowly.

Gray and her turned to each other at the same time.

"Needs more wine." They said in fusion. They laughed a little and Claire poured a little more red wine into the concoction. Stopped for a second, shrugged, and poured the majority of the wine into the stew.

Claire then put the stew into a large Tupperware bowl and snapped the lid shut. She walked over to her sofa and plopped down on it while Gray took a chair from the kitchen table nearby and sat on it backwards.

Claire secretly admired the blacksmith apprentice. His unruly carrot red hair was always under his UMA cap. Claire and Gray's sister Ann made a joke once that he showered with that cap on. His eyes were the color of the legendary bluebird that she had yet to find a feather from. At first glance you would think he was just a self-concieted pissy guy, but really he was just agiant teddy bear. Claire instantly was drawn to him even though their first meeting was when Gray was arguing with his grandpa who was just like Gray. Even though both Saibara and Gray wouldn't admit it.

"Y'know Claire, you'd make a good wife to someone some day." Gray said out of the blue, pulling Claire out of her daze with his smooth voice that was like an addictive drug that she couldn't get enough of.

"Whaddya mean Gray?" She said while looking at him with a puzzled look on her face while trying and failing miserably to hide a blush.

"Well, for starters you make killer stew," The red head smiled brilliantly at the smaller blonde, "Plus you're a hard worker and I personally think you are very..." Gray's face reddened as he stopped himself in mid-sentence.

"That I am very..." Claire urged Gray with a circular motion of her hand.

"...Cute." Gray mumbled while trying and failing, to hide his crimson face behind his hat while rushing out Claire's front door.

She just shook her head and laughed.

"Gray, Gray, Gray... What are we going to do with you?" She said in a soft tone. Then her door opened again. This time Gray's sister Ann in all her braided red hair and blue eyed glory with Karen and Popuri trudging behind her. They all had the same look on their face. _Evil_.

"Hi Claire-Bear!" Ann said in a too cheerful voice.

"What did you do and how does it involve me?" Claire said in a knowing tone whie crossing her arms. Ann came up to Claire and swung her arm around the blonde girl's shoulder.

"You know how much we love ya Claire-Bear, right?" Ann said in the same suspisious tone.

"Yeah," Claire drawed out as she raised an eyebrow skeptically, "Ann what are you up to now?"

"Oh, I just came up with the most fool-proof plan to get my beloved brother Gray we all know you love oh-so much to finally come out and admit he loves you! That's all!" Ann dropped the bomb.

"ANN! WHAT DID I TELL YOU ABOUT MESSING ABOUT IN MY LOVE LIFE?" Claire stood up and glared at Ann.

"Karen, Popuri, you know what to do." Ann said to the girls who appeared behind her.

After a bunch of kicking, screaming, and punching, the girls somehow managed to drag Claire to the inn inside of a sack. They threw the petite into the inn's cellar that the she had been in many times due to when Doug needed some help bartending during festivals and such.

"Now, you two have a nice night~!" Ann sang as she shut and locked the only way out of the cellar.

She paniced when she heard the words 'you two' and 'night'. She turned around to a pissed off Gray.

"What crawled up your ass and died?" Claire said taking a seat at the other end against the rack of whiskey and bourbon where Gray sat at.

"Well, for starters, Ann and her friends kidnapped me and threw me into the cellar, then, she threw you in here with me, and now, I just figured out I'm gonna be in here all night." Gray said in a smart ass way.

Gray and Claire just sat next to eachother in an awkward silence, trying to think of what to say to the other.

They sat in that silence for about 10 minutes until they heard a song come on from the main room of the inn.

By the time the song was almst finished Claire was smiling wishfully with her eyes closed against the alcahol rack, thinking of what it would be like to be with Gray.

_Sometimes that mountain you've been climbing  
>Is just a grain of sand<br>And what you've been out there searching for forever  
>Is in your hands<em>

Claire let a small smile grace her face as she innocently avrted her gaze from Gray and scooted towards him.

The room itself was very small so she was halfway across the room.

_And then you figure out__  
><em>_Love is all that matters after all__  
><em>_It sure makes everything __else__  
><em>_Oh, it sure makes everything else..._

Gray followed Claire's example and scooted towards her with his gaze averted and a small smile. Both of their smiles widened when Gray put his large and calloused hand on top Claire small and surprisingly soft one.

They turned to each other and put their other hands on the pile and they shared a sweet kiss.

_Seem so small..._

The song faded off as Claire and Gray stared into each other's eyes with their forehead pressed together.

"You know, staying here wouldn't be so bad..." Claire said breathlessly.

"Yeah. If anything, Ann should do us a favor and keep us in here all weekend." Gray agreed softly.

"Sweetie, I don't plan on losing my virginty against a wall of glass bottles." Claire said teasingly.

"Who said it had to be against the wall?" Gray asked pervertedly.

"ANN LET US OUT! GRAY'S GONNA RAPE ME!" Claire turned her head towards the cellar door and screamed playfully.


End file.
